I like accurate rifles. I love my 17HMR, I love 22LR. I want to foray into centrefire reloading, I have been browsing the milsurps and hunting rifles. I need a deer rifle too. I may get a 30 cal something to start with or a .223 for a nice range rifle. Any advice???
What centrefire calibre to begin reloading with?
- Thread starter lord-humungous
- Start date
Farlsincharge
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Plus components are very common.
The 30-06 can gain from handloading.It's a cartridge that's loaded down a bit for the old miltary and lever actions.The same new actions run 300WM and 270W.Cases are cheap to free.Bullet selection is second to none.There is data everywhere. It's so forgiving,it's hard to get a bad load.The bigger case is easier to load than a 223.
Mystic Precision
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Summerland, BC
Since this is for hunting, the 308 would get the nod.
Whatever rifle you get, bed the action properly, mount your optics on a solid base and quality rings.
Quality dies, bullets and brass and this cartridge will shoot with the best out there.
Enjoy...
Jerry
Whatever rifle you get, bed the action properly, mount your optics on a solid base and quality rings.
Quality dies, bullets and brass and this cartridge will shoot with the best out there.
Enjoy...
Jerry
Ok, so 308 is sounding good. Can someone tell me why it's better than 30-06 if 30-06 is more forgiving to load? 223 might be fun but I can't imagine what I'd hunt with it. Likely end up sitting in the safe too much. I'm narrowing it down to 308 (or 30-06).
- Location
- Sudbury, On
.308 is the way go. Energy and velocities are quite similar, save for some very heavy bullets you'll never use in a .30-06. The action is shorter on the .308 win, saving you some substantial weight.
I can't comment on 30-06, but there's nothing particularly demanding about working up a load for a 308 either. I tried a wide reasonable spectrum of loads of IMR4895 with a 150 gr bullet in my Tikka and they all shot great, so I settled on a load that was 45 grains. I figured why stress the gun and brass with a maximum load? It chronos at 2700 fps and works great on whitetail. I say its frugal because compare that to my 300WM that eats up 70 some grains per cartridge, you can load a lot more 308's to a can of powder. Even if money isn't an issue, there isn't a can of 4895 powder on the shelves here in Winnipeg.
If you were going to also hunt moose or elk, I'd say the 30-06. If you are only going to use it for deer, 308 will do just fine. 308 will kill moose as well, but 30-06 is faster and just a bit more upto the task. With a 308, you've got less recoil, use less powder. 30-06 really comes into it's own if you are going to use heavier bullets, up to 220 gr. Whereas 308 is ideal with under 180 gr, probably best with 155gr-165gr depending on the twist.
Course that's all just general theory, I shoot a 300 Win Mag, I don't mind the extra powder, and like a little recoil
Course that's all just general theory, I shoot a 300 Win Mag, I don't mind the extra powder, and like a little recoil
Course that's all just general theory, I shoot a 300 Win Mag, I don't mind the extra powder, and like a little recoil
Glutton for punishment!!
I have quite a preference for the 30-06 over the 308 for reloading. As someone else mentioned, the 30-06 is so forgiving and all the loading books, as well as the loaded ammo is light for the 30-06.
You are a new reloader, so I am not going to suggest that you overload the 30-06, or any other calibre.
However, for experienced reloaders, the potential is there to make the 30-06 quite superior to the 308.
The 308 is loaded to high pressures and the average handload may not equal the loaded factory rounds.
You are a new reloader, so I am not going to suggest that you overload the 30-06, or any other calibre.
However, for experienced reloaders, the potential is there to make the 30-06 quite superior to the 308.
The 308 is loaded to high pressures and the average handload may not equal the loaded factory rounds.
"...What about 30-06 over 308?..." The two are ballistically identical. Either will kill any game you care to hunt. The only advantage the .30-06 has is it is about 100 to 200fps faster with like bullet weights and it can use slightly heavier bullets when reloading. 220 grains vs 200 grains. Remington factory ammo runs 100 fps difference with a 165 grain bullet. No game animal will know or care what cartridge killed it anyway.
Otherwise, the difference is in the length of the rifle action. Felt recoil is about the same in the same rifle.
Neither makes much difference when it comes to reloading. Same bullet weights and powders work well out of either.
Both cartridges are available anywhere in factory hunting loads.
Rifle weights are within ounces of each other too. A Rem 700 SPS, for example, in .30-06 weighs 7 3/8 lbs, in .308 it weighs 7.25 lbs.
You really only need to decide whether you like a long action or a short action.
Otherwise, the difference is in the length of the rifle action. Felt recoil is about the same in the same rifle.
Neither makes much difference when it comes to reloading. Same bullet weights and powders work well out of either.
Both cartridges are available anywhere in factory hunting loads.
Rifle weights are within ounces of each other too. A Rem 700 SPS, for example, in .30-06 weighs 7 3/8 lbs, in .308 it weighs 7.25 lbs.
You really only need to decide whether you like a long action or a short action.
You evil man!.......
.....That kinda thinking forced me into reloading in the first place......Just kidding about the "evil" part......
